Electrically conductive adhesive solid hydrogels and liquid gels are used in the medical field to provide an electrical interface to the skin of a subject to couple electrical signals into and/or out of the subject (e.g. for diagnostic and/or monitoring uses) and/or to couple electrical stimulus into the subject (e.g. for treatment and/or preventative uses). The application of these conductive materials to electrodes is known. In general, the conductive material is applied to the electrode using sophisticated equipment, where the equipment is located at the manufacturer. Moreover, the conductive material is applied to the electrode in a manner such that the material cannot be removed from the electrode and reused. Thus, these electrodes are intended to be disposable and not reused from patient to patient, making them costly and inefficient to use. This is due to the fact that once the electrode with conductive material has been in contact with a first patient, it is generally not desirable to apply the same electrode with the same conductive material to a different patient.
Accordingly, it can be seen that needs exist for improved electrodes that are reusable. In addition, there is a need for a device that can be used on-site to reapply fresh gel-pads to the electrodes for subsequent reuse. It is to the provision of solutions meeting these and other needs that the present invention is primarily directed.